


Honestly, Kirito-kun!

by JelloMarshmallowGlade



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Not one-shots, Reunions, Sword Art Online Season 3 - Alicization, Underworld, not a crack-fic, there's an actual storyline i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 23:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19161247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JelloMarshmallowGlade/pseuds/JelloMarshmallowGlade
Summary: "No problem! That's what friends are for, aren't they? Now, about that," Eugeo tone turned teasing, with a slight accusing note that harmonised with the sentence perfectly. "How come you never told me you had a girlfriend? I thought you were better than that!"Kirito chuckled nervously, before turning away from both of them. "Let's go for dinner, before I get chewed out for being late again. Come on Asuna, Eugeo. No time to waste talking here!"Eugeo and Asuna caught each other's eye, identical sighs on their lips. "Honestly," They laughed, in unison.ORWhat if Asuna went into Underworld earlier, when Kirito was still in the Swordscraft Academy?Really, just my headcanon of how she'd interact with the other characters when they find out that Kirito, childish swordsman extraordinaire, has a girlfriend!A different person each chapter!





	Honestly, Kirito-kun!

Asuna opened her eyes, the sunlight reaching deep into her eyes. The world blurred between black and white as she blinked, acclimatising. The bright field of flowers she'd spawned was so different than the darkness of the room she'd been set up to dive in, it was hard to correlate the two.

Slowly, she reached to stroke a small daisy by her foot, revelling in the soft, delicate nature of the petals that fluttered beneath her hand. It was frankly terrifying, she noticed with no less amazement, that technology had grown far enough that the game seemed hardly… well, a game. Even Sword Art Online, after all the hours she'd spent in it, always had that _artificial_ quality, from the food, to the nature, to the people. This world… Underworld… if she hadn't known better, she'd barely believe this was all a game, a simple file stored in a ship in the middle of the ocean.

Turning her head to scan her surroundings, he fingers inevitable found themselves investigating the fabric of her dress. The fabric was light, almost gossamer, caught between her fingers as if it weren't there at all. Ethereal. And eerily reminiscent of the dress she'd been forced to wear in Alfheim Online.

Her trusty rapier was strapped to her waist, thin ivory blade shimmering in the sunlight. She traced a simple S into the air above her rapier, to open the Ah wait, what was it that Kikuoka-san said to try? He said it would be rather useful in-game. Asuna swiped her hand, as if opening her menu. "Inspect list." She commanded.

With a start, the game menu blinked to life _. Ah, this would be useful._ She scrolled through the system commands with a low, scrutinising gaze. One caught her eye, the English words curious to her.

"System call: Generate… luminous… element?" She murmured.

As she said that, suddenly, her rapier point started to glow, like a miniature sun. She jerked back in shock, drawing her sword and holding it wondrously in front of her. "Wow…"

She gave a few test swings, the light drawing trails of fire in the air. The glow faded, and she returned it to her side.

Hmm… Where to go from here? Kikuoka-san had warned her that time flowed differently in the game, so Kirito would have moved from here rather early on. What might have been one day she spent staring longingly from behind the glass, might have been weeks? months? years? in the Underworld. It was chilling, so see one's perception of time so messed up with.

Although, Kikuoka-san had given her one advantage. Apparently, he'd tried to send her as close as he could to the point at which he'd sent Kirito, see if she could trace his path through the world and find him that way.

"Hello, who are you?"

Asuna whipped her head around. A little girl, clothed in a plain, clean uniform, stood behind her. Her eyes were large and innocent, shining from behind honey-coloured locks. "I'm Selka. Nice to meet you!" She smiled, dimples ablaze.

Asuna's mind whirled. She wouldn't be able to reveal her true standing in this country, nor the reason she had come. But she had to say something to fill the silence. "Ah, hello. My name is Asuna. I, um, came here and…"

Her face scrunched up. "Wow! You're so pretty. But I've never seen you around. Ah! Could you perhaps be a Lost Child of Vector? That's probably why you don't remember anything about yourself, or how you got here."

Asuna nodded, inwardly smiling at the easy cover-story she'd been handed. "Yes, I probably am."

Selka looked up, stars in her eyes. "Wow! You are, aren't you? This is rare - not long ago did that boy come through too."

Asuna's fists closed tightly behind her back, in barely concealed hope of her luck. "Another boy like me? What did he look like?" She asked eagerly, although the girl didn't seem to notice.

"Ah, well, he had black hair, with a plain black tunic. He was really nice, and always helped Eugeo with his calling. He and Eugeo saved me from a bunch of goblins once…"

Asuna bit her lip, to keep from exclaiming in happiness. "…What was his name?"

Selka grinned. "Kirito! What a strange name, huh? A bit like yours."

At this point, Asuna felt like she was floating. "How long ago was this? Is he still here?"

Selka shook her head sadly. "No, a little more than a year and a half ago, he and Eugeo set off to the capital. They went to go investigate what happened to my sister, when she was taken years ago. I miss them very much… but someday I'll be strong enough to rescue them instead!"

Her heart sank. _A year and a half… has it really been that long in this world?_

"I see," She cracked a rueful smile, "Thank you. You've been really helpful."

Selka paused, "Do you know Kirito? Are you gonna go after them?"

"You could say that…" Asuna replied.

"Waa~ are you like his girlfriend?" 

"N-" The protests died on her lips. Instead, red rose on her cheeks, and she tilted her head to hide it. "Little girls like you shouldn't worry about these kind of things."

She pouted, but left the topic alone. 

Asuna turned to the direction of the capital. _Kirito-kun… I'm coming. Just wait._

-

Asuna craned her neck, staring up at the high walls towering over the capital. _I'm finally here. It took longer than expected, but I'm here. Kirito-kun, I can't wait to see you again._

She walked up to the gate, steps soft and light.

The guard beside the gate banged his staff against the dirt, eyeing her suspiciously. "Hey, you! State your name and purpose."

"I am Asuna, a traveller. I give you my word that bid no ill will to the empire."

The guard narrowed his eyes, motioning to the sword that Kikuoka had granted her. "And what about that?"

"A sword, nothing more." She lay a hand softly on the grip. "A woman alone in the country usually needs more than pretty words to her defence." God knows she'd had to threaten men off her more than once.

The guard appraised her introduction over the course of a few seconds. He apparently deemed it worthy, as she was allowed through the gate without another word.

She looked around, drinking in her surroundings. It had taken nearly a month and a half to get here - to the capital. Even with Kikuoka-san's tips and system commands.

She wandered around the main street, swivelling her head to look at all the attractions. Most of the villages she'd passed getting here were far more undeveloped, focussed mostly on farming and the village-life.

She stumbled back a few paces, as a shoulder smashed harshly against her own.

"Excuse me! Watch where you're going, commoner." A man, just slightly older than her, was glaring at her, eyes filled with contempt. His neck was angled up, just slightly, stiff posture accentuating his own feeling of self-importance.

Asuna scoffed. This was one of the things that she hated the most about this world. She had learnt, pretty early on, about what they called the 'Taboo Index', and the central laws of this place. There was the usual; no lying, petty crime, murder. It was quite the harmonic balance here.

However, the laws prevented those of 'lower status' to defy those of 'higher'. It was rather distasteful, all things considered. Usually, she'd challenge them to a duel, setting rather strict parameters of the effects of their loss. In their arrogance, they would agree right away, confident in their ability to defeat someone of lower status than them, and Asuna would deal with it that way.

She did the same this time.  
The noble sneered at her, a painted grin adorning his face. His bright red hair framed his face unflatteringly. "You want a duel, little lady? And if I win, I can have my way with you?" He laughed, "Very well, I accept your challenge. Why don't we say… first-hit rules okay with you?"

Asuna nodded. "Acceptable."

The noble waved his hands in the air, dismissively. "Oi, oi! We're having a duel here, so you people had better clear out!"

Within a few seconds, the crowd had noticeably thinned, hugging close to the alleyways and sidewalks. A quiet mutter broke out, more likely than not sceptical of her skills.

His retainer, stationed just behind him, spoke out nervously. "Um, Bertholf-sama, shouldn't duels take place in the sanctioned duelling grounds? It-It would be bad if damage was caused to civilian property…"

"Shut up!" He yelled, making the retainer flinch. "This will be over quickly anyways."

Asuna made eye contact with the scared boy beside the noble. She mouthed, "Don't worry, I'll try to keep damage to a minimum."

The boy looked at her with visibly relieved eyes. "Thank you." He mouthed in return.  
She flashed a smile, before the two of them stepped forward to face each other and the crowd took a collective breath. Drawing her rapier, the noble followed suit, twirling his sword between his fingers.

She let her foot slide back, scratching against the cobblestones, into the customary battle stance she had used since SAO. The noble also drew back into a stance, chest jutting out in a meaningless show of power. His retainer reluctantly slinked into his place as referee, standing between the two.

"I, Alfreide Elrich Bertholf II of the esteemed Bertholf family formally challenge you to a duel." _My gosh, what a chore to remember._ He smirked in self-satisfaction. "Do you accept?"  
Asuna levelled her sword at her opponent, "Yes."

The retainer raised his hand to begin the battle. Idly, she realised the boy's hand was visibly trembling. "S-Start!" He called shakily.

Asuna wasted no time. She sprung from her back foot, leaping into her opponents defence easily. He was shocked, that much was obvious. He wasn't expecting her to be this quick, and that was usually to her advantage.  
She twisted her wrist behind her to activate the sword skill «Linear», her rapier taking on a familiar blue gleam. He jerked back in shock, just barely missing the point of her blade against his cheek. _How's that, huh._ But she had no time to enjoy the rush of proving someone wrong. In less than a second, she adjusted her grip and changed skills, bringing her blade up in a diagonal arc - «Streak». This continued for the next few minutes, the noble's sword skills painfully no match against hers. He couldn't gain footing to prepare for the next attack, and each movement of his sword was more of a desperate stopgap to the next than it was a true attack.

She would end this quickly, she decided.

Retracting her sword close to her body, she finished with a three-hit combo, «Triple Bite».

The noble, already off balance, was in no position to dodge her incoming blow. The first two had finally crumbled his defences, and the last sliced a shallow cut into the side of his cheek, her blade coming to a halt just above his left shoulder just above where he lay sprawled across the ground. It was over, just like that. Barely a battle to remember.

His eyes were wide, surprised. "You- You-" He spluttered.

She whipped her sword through the air to rid it of the miniscule amount of blood, before sliding it smoothly back into its sheath. "You will honour your conditions." She reminded him.

He ground his teeth, eyes flashing with anger. He pushed himself from the ground, spitting curse words as if they were poison on his tongue. "You'll pay for this, you bitch! I'll get you back!"

He stabbed his sword viciously back into its sheathe and strut off, the retainer hurrying after him with rushed, desperate steps.

In a second, the crowd exploded into cheers. "Good job, whoever you are!"

"Thank you for putting him in his place!"

"Yeah, go for it!"

Asuna smiled gently, offering her own show of thanks for their support, before slowly slipping back into the crowd. She drew her rough brown cloak tighter around her shoulders, hiding the ostentatious white dress that she had slowly grown accustomed to in an effort to blend in. Unseen, or so she thought.

In the corner of her eye, she caught a blue-clothed figure making their way through the crowd to her. He had soft, blond hair and sapphire eyes. _Another one?_ She quickened her pace, but she just couldn't seem to shake him off.

Finally, she slipped into an alleyway, and he followed her predictably. Spinning around, she cast her eyes on the mysterious male. Her hand rested unthreateningly on the hilt of her rapier. "So? What do you want? You saw the duel, I would have thought you'd be more cautious trying to make a move on me."

The blue haired man shook his head frantically, waving his hands in the air defensively. "No, no, you misunderstand! I just wanted to ask you a few questions about your sword style?"

Asuna raised an eyebrow, but took her fingers off the hilt nonetheless. "I see."

The blond chuckled in relief. "You're really good with that, aren't you? Anyways, I wanted to ask where you learnt that technique? It's really similar to my friend's sword style, and it's quite a unique style so it's rare to see another of its wielders. Just out of curiosity, what do you call it?"

"Well, I guess I never truly gave it a name." _I would hardly be called 'The Flash" again._ "As I was its sole user, it never really needed a name."

He rubbed his neck, "Ah, I guess so. Are you planning to join the Swordcraft Academy this year? With those skills, I'm sure you'd be admitted."

"Swordcraft Academy? What's that?"

"The North Centoria Swordcraft Academy, a place to train those to become Integrity Knights; It's pretty famous in these parts, I would have thought that to be the reason you were here."

She shook her head. "No. Actually, I came to the capital to look for… something."

The boy looked visibly disappointed, but he shook it off. "Would you mind coming with me to meet my friend? I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see talented swordswoman such as yourself. We're both staying at the Swordcraft Academy, and you can have a look around. There all kinds there - you can ask around for the thing you're searching for!"

She considered it for a few moments. It wouldn't hurt, would it? She was curious to see what the Swordcraft Academy was like; and her skills wouldn't drop with a bit of extra experience. She hummed. "Sure."

The boy smiled widely. "That's great."

-

They had reached the Academy a while ago, and as she sat on a bench the boy had kindly offered her honey-tarts from a nearby vendor. They had selected a rather out-of-the-way glade, ensconced in a quaint glade of honeysuckle blossoms. It was cool and shaded, the sun projecting a mesh of shadows between the leaves and onto their clothes. Sunset was near, she could tell.

"Sorry, you might have to wait a while. It's sparring time right now, so he might take a while. I would be sparring top, normally, but my mentor is doing something else today. So I decided to wander the town instead."

Asuna felt the corner of her mouth curl upwards, the sweet honey coating her lips. "No, it's okay. You've been really nice to me, I don't mind waiting."

"So, tell me about yourself! It's always interesting to hear another's story."

_Hmm, she would have to choose her words carefully._ She lowered the honey-tart from her mouth, resting her hands on her lap. "I'm from a village in the countryside. My parents were always really strict, and they always wanted me to be a 'proper lady' and primed me from young to take over their business when I got older. I took up swordsmanship as a sort of… escape, I guess. At first, it was hard, sneaking away and everything. I almost gave up. But my boyfriend," She blushed in spite of herself, "a swordsman too, made me love it even more."  
"Wow… that's impressive. I'm also from a country village." She looked up in surprise. With the ornate, pale blue sword at his waist, she'd thought him to be a noble of some sort. "I had always wanted to leave, but I was a coward… scared of the world outside my village. I used my calling as an excuse to never take that step. But then this boy came along; he taught me so much, helped me in so many ways. Together, we completed my calling and we set out to the capital, as swordsmen. I've come so far with him - I'm almost scared to imagine what my life would have been, had he not come along."

After a contemplative silence, the boy turned to her. "Oh, I never caught your name."

"Yuuki Asuna." She resumed her meal, with a much lighter feeling in her chest. NPCs in this world really were different - not that they were _true_ NPCs.

"Suits you!" He laughed good-naturedly.

"So, what about you?"

"My name's E-"

Just them, a voice called from behind them. "Yo! Sorry to make you wait so long. Liena-senpai extended our training by a bit, she wanted to try a new move out."

Immediately, Asuna tensed. Her hood fell to cover her eyes. It wasn't the words, not the casual demeanour at which the other boy greeted them. But that voice was so… so familiar. Tenor and smooth in all the same places. "Who's this?"

The boy grinned, looking over his shoulder at the boy behind her. Asuna didn't turn. If she was correct - no, if she happened to be wrong, then everything… "I saw her duelling in the south courtyard, on third street. She was _really_ good, so I thought I'd introduce you to her."

"Hi! Nice to meet you, the name's-"

She turned her head slightly to peer behind her, anticipation bursting from the seams. As she did, a lock of honeyed stands fell free from her shoulders and out of the hood. She could see the moment Kirito caught sight of it, his words catching in his throat.

"Asuna?" His voice was tentative and shook like a leaf in the wind. And the sound of her name through his lips sent a jolt through her, catching her off guard and filling her eyes with tears. She dropped the honey-tart and clasped both hands to her heart.

After a pause, she spoke. "K-Kirito-kun? Are- Are you-" Her voice broke.

She turned fully, to see his eyes well up with tears, not unlike her own. His hair was just as fluffy as ever, his eyes losing none of that breathtaking sparkle she had fallen in love with. He reached out, hand trembling. "Asuna, it really is you, isn't it? But you- how are you here?"

She threw caution to the wind, leaping up and throwing her hands around Kirito's waist. He stumbled back, but steadied himself almost instantly, gathering her up in his arms and hugging her close to his chest. Her hood slipped from her head as she bent to nuzzle her cheek into the crook of Kirito's neck. It was so familiar, his scent, his skin, his voice.

It was just the two of them, in a world of their own. There was nothing else.

"Kirito-kun. Kirito-kun!" She chanted his name, a mantra, each punctured with joy-filled sob. It felt as though if she loosened her grip even a bit, if she stopped calling his name, he would disappear into shards of blue, and dissipate into the air. To each, he responded with a quiet  "Asuna" as if her name was the answer to everything he'd ever known. It crawled into her heart, sealing every crack that had grown there with soft reassurances and loving gestures.

It felt like home.

Kirito stroked her hair, each movement slow and careful, sliding through her hair and tangling between the strands. "Asuna, how are you here? I thought this was «Underworld»? How did you get in?"

She let out a choked sob, "I've been searching for you, every single day. I finally, finally found you, Kirito-kun. After all this time."

He looked surprised, but his face softened, and he pulled her impossibly closer. "Yeah, yeah you found me. And I found you."

Suddenly, a bell rang across the ground, shocking them from their reverie. It was loud and harsh, sounding almost as if someone had smashed a stick into wind chimes. She drew away from him reluctantly, wiping the tears from her eyes with the edge of her sleeves. "What's- What's that?"

Kirito looked up, tears barely subsided, at the clock sitting on the edge of the spiral tower in the middle of the grounds. "It's the curfew bell. We have to go back in now."

Remembering her surroundings, Asuna's eyes flitted back to the other boy, who had been standing off to the side awkwardly. Her cheeks reddened with mortification. Kirito seemed to have the same thoughts as her, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment and turning to face him. "Sorry, Eugeo, I-" _Hmm, that name was familiar…_

"It's fine, it's fine. I'm glad to see you so happy." Eugeo was looking far more at ease and happy, although there was _something_ she couldn't particularly pick out in his eyes. Was it… disappointment?

"Thanks," Kirito said, relieved.

"No problem! That's what friends are for, aren't they? Now, about that," Eugeo tone turned teasing, with a slight accusing note that harmonised with the sentence perfectly. "How come you never told me you had a girlfriend? I thought we were better than that!"

Kirito chuckled nervously, before turning away from both of them. "Let's go for dinner, before I get chewed out for being late _again_. Come on Asuna, Eugeo. No time to waste talking here!"

Eugeo and Asuna caught each other's eye, identical sighs on their lips. "Honestly," They laughed, in unison. 

And then Asuna turned back to her boyfriend, already halfway down the hill. "Wait Kirito-kun, where are we going! I'm not a student here, you know!"

Kirito laughed, "Nonsense! I'm sure Azurica-sensei will let you in. I'll think of something that'll be sure to convince her," He hesitated. "Or at least I think… Hehe, no problem, come on!"

Eugeo sighed, before turning to her. "Let's just go, Kirito's mind probably won't be changed, no matter what we say. Honestly, I'm just glad I was able to meet you, especially since it was simply coincidence that I happened to pass by that street."

"Yeah," She replied softly, "Thanks for being a friend to Kirito all this while. I'm glad he has someone like you who he can count on."

He grinned at her, "Kirito's the one who helped me, not the other way around."

On the path ahead, Kirito's silhouetted form waved impatiently. "Hurry up, you two! We'll be late!"

When they reached the entrance, Asuna caught sight of an older woman; she stood guard by the door, stiff, austere lines set into her face. She glanced at the three of them, eyes flat, the epitome of disappointment. "Kirito. Late again."

"Liena-senpai extended our session again today - couldn't be helped!" He grinned.

She pursed her lips, "I see. Well, who might this young lady be then?"

Kirito froze, like a deer in headlights. Evidently, after what he had said, he really hadn't thought of anything.

Eugeo, beside her, sighed in that long suffering way, regarding Kirito with an exasperated glance. Stepping forward, he pulled her forward. "She's my sister. She's thinking of transferring into the Academy later this year, and wanted to come early to see what it's like."

She looked between them suspiciously, the honey-blond locks contrasting greatly with Eugeo's bright sunshine yellow. They really weren't that similar at all. Her eyes trailed between Kirito and her linked hands, which had reattached the second she caught up with him, almost subconsciously. It was really awkward, and she had half a mind to slip her hand out, but Kirito's grip hadn't relented, so she stayed her hand.

Azurica-sensei took a few more scrutinising looks at her hair and clothing, but ultimately sighed. "You children, always disobeying rules." She levelled her gaze at them, eyes shining like daggers in the candlelight. "I'll allow it, but only until this week ends. And she'll have to stay with you; there aren't any free rooms this far into the year. But I don't want to hear anything _suspicious_ from your room tonight. "

Asuna could practically feel the heat emanating from her cheeks. 

Eugeo laughed easily, "Sure, sure. Don’t worry, I'll keep her out of trouble."

Azurica-sensei stepped to the side, letting them pass. Once they had walked past her, she moved back to her spot in opening, stiff posture and positioning looking almost akin to a sentinel - a sentinel of the night.

Kirito let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Eugeo. I owe you one."

"Don't do it again, okay? I won't save you next time." Eugeo smiled, but the words were light and without true meaning.

"Course!"

Their meal was light, and altogether rather exquisite. It was of a western style, very different to the traditional-style Japanese dishes often cooked at her home. All throughout the meal, she felt the stares of other students boring in her back. Her strange clothes and unfamiliar face were sure to cause apprehension, especially on her first night here.

She tried her best to pay them no heed. A riveting conversation was flowing smoothly between the three of them, and it wasn't long before her tinkling laughs joined the boys. It was the most exciting night she'd had in a while.

 


End file.
